


Danganronpa: Absolute Fate

by LyricstoSilence



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Fan Killing Game (Dangan Ronpa), Free Time Event Voting, Multi, Original Character(s), Swearing, these kids are gonna perish
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-09-15 08:25:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16929822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LyricstoSilence/pseuds/LyricstoSilence
Summary: "And of course, fate is absolute, isn’t it…?"-----Akiyama Sayuri, a talentless girl enrolled in the Reserve Course of Naegi Makoto’s reestablished Hope’s Peak Academy. The Tragedy caused by Enoshima  Junko is a large part of history, but is just that: history. However, when walking into the school for her first day, Sayuri blacks out and wakes up in a hotel room, completely clueless as to how she got there.Now thrown into a killing game with 15 weird, much more talented students, Sayuri finds out that her fate may be sealed here. But if fate is absolute, she'll have to fight it, or die trying...(A Killing Game fanfic with original characters, settings, and murder plots!)





	Danganronpa: Absolute Fate

… Hope’s Peak Academy.

That was surely a place to bring a flurry of emotions with its mere mention, was it not?

A prestigious school that harbored the talented youth who would bring about the world’s hope. A home where naturally gifted individuals were sought out to join, where their specialties were nurtured to a full bloom. The bastion of a school, centered in the heart of Japan, where hope was set to start and spread.

The envy of the average and the goal of the talented. _That_ was Hope’s Peak Academy, wasn’t it?

… So why was she here now? That question was still nagging in her mind.

Was it for a reason? For destiny? Would her talents be accepted here and allowed to grow?

Akiyama Sayuri stood alone, staring longingly at the door that lay a courtyard away from her. One shaking hand clutching her bag, the other grazing the surface of the wrought iron gates. The very ones that were pulled back to allow entrance into the school. This… this was it, wasn’t it? The day she was waiting for all year. The day that she spent a year of preparation to make this worth it.

She had to make this worth it.

This was her fate after all, wasn’t it?

Sayuri took a few shuffling steps towards the school, her flats scuffing on the sidewalk. It was almost pathetic to see. A girl so afraid to face her future. _Almost._

Another step. Another breath. Repeating the mantra that she could do this, that she belonged.

She belonged… right?

…

…

No.

After all, she was just a talentless girl…

… accepted into the Reserve Course after passing the entrance exams.

Not scouted.

Not needed.

Just accepted.

Just… allowed.

**Enter: AKIYAMA SAYURI**

But… that was fine. She told that to herself again, words whispered in her head in a voice unlike her own. She coaxed herself to keep walking… shaky steps turned into a steady march, which soon became a full-blown run towards the door, accompanied by giggles of glee passing her lips. Belonging or not… accepted or scouted… it didn’t matter from this point on. This is her fate, after all.

And of course, fate is absolute, isn’t it…?

i... s...n...t…

 _ittttttttt_ …?—

* * *

 

When Sayuri came to, she felt as though she was laying on clouds. Something soft and plush beneath her, cozy to the touch… was it a bed? Maybe…

‘ _This… is weird… I could have sworn...? Was I dreaming that…?’_

The possibility crossed her mind as she rolled over in the bed, dragging the heavy, yet warm blanket over herself. Despite the comfort of the mattress beneath her and the downy quilt over her body, the unfamiliarity was enough to worry the girl. Large, green eyes slowly opened and scanned the room. The first thing that caught her attention was the walls of the room. The classy feel of the floral, cream-colored wallpaper, that went from the white carpeted floor to the high ceiling was certainly not from her own bedroom…

In that case… where was she?

The more she observed, the more she noticed, and the less she understood. A dresser, a desk, a lamp… those she could imagine in this bedroom setting. But the monitor that hung from the crease where the ceiling and wall met, accompanied by a video camera that focused itself on her awoken form? _That_ certainly wasn’t normal…

She bit her lip and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Now facing her right, as she prepared to stand, the girl saw blushy-pink colored curtains that closed off something. A window, maybe? There wasn’t a trace of light peeking in the room, however, but that would have made sense to her…

Sayuri stood up shakily, surveying this room once again. It reminded her of a bedroom, sure, but it clearly wasn’t hers. Perhaps it was part of the academy’s, but she didn’t remember the Reserve Course students getting dorms in her regulations letter…

For a moment, she was sure she was freaking out for nothing. Surely this was still the academy, wasn’t it? After all, she could remember...

…

Actually, what _could_ she really remember?

Approaching the academy. Then what? _Then what?_

Taking in a sharp breath, Sayuri gave a quick slap to her cheek. ‘ _Don’t_ ,’ she chided herself. She had to remain calm right now, right? Surely panicking wouldn’t do her any good…

The girl made her way to the desk in the room, examining the contents on top. A notepad, some pens, another small lamp to illuminate a writing space… and a tablet? Sayuri knew for a fact she didn’t have one, so the presence of the electronic was confusing to her.

Curiously, she picked it up. How did this turn on exactly…? She pressed what was likely the power button on the side, but when that failed, Sayuri tapped at the screen a few times with her short nails. Still nothing… ‘ _It’s probably dead… but then why is it here?_ ’

The more she found, the less she understood…

‘ _.. Enough fooling around, shouldn’t you be trying to figure out where you are?’_

Reminding herself that _that_ probably should have been her main priority, the black-haired girl made soft, cautious steps towards the curtains. Her hand was lifted towards the heavy fabric, and with a swift tug, she moved the curtain on the left to the side to peek out the window she was sure was there.

…

Whether a window was there or not, she’d never know. Instead, behind this curtain, was a steel plate bolted up against the wall. Sayuri swore she felt her heart drop for a moment. The girl didn’t even bother trying to move one of the bolts as she backed up, swallowing a lump in her throat.

Was it time to worry now? Because she was growing more concerned by the minute…

Her footsteps sounded in the room as she scrambled around, looking for the bag she brought to school. If nothing else, her phone was in that. She could call her parents, or call for help, right? She supposed she could have, but maybe that was why her bag wasn’t in sight…

The girl dropped to the floor and lifted the bed skirt, her arm tapping uselessly under the bed to see if her bag had been shoved under there. She wasn’t surprised that she didn’t find it, but she certainly was dejected. Sayuri got to her feet, looking in each of the six desk drawers, the three compartments of the dresser, even opening the door into what she learned after was a bathroom in hopes of finding her things.

Unfortunately, the situation seemed to grow more suspicious as the moments passed as she resigned herself to realizing her stuff just wasn’t there. Waking up alone and disoriented in a random room, the window completely bolted shut, no phone, none of her belongings…

...

At the very least, a distraction from her feeling of helplessness was offered in the form of a knock on the door. The minor feeling of thankfulness was short-lived, however. Who was even there? Was it whoever put her here…?

… Wait, why was someone knocking, then? Surely if it was a captor of some sort, they would just… walk in, right? If they had the power, that would have made sense to think. The next idea she came to was that maybe it was someone in her similar situation. Another person, waking up in the same confusing scenario…

Was that what prompted her to run so quickly to the main door of the room? Maybe…

Without the hesitation that Sayuri probably should have used, she unlocked the door and opened it a bit, poking her head out to see who was there.

“... Geeez. You sure took your time…”

Sayuri couldn’t help but quirk a brow at the teenage girl that scowled down to her with the words. This girl on the other side of the door stood only a few inches taller than Sayuri, though still barely made it to an average height. With messy, light blue hair, the braided bangs that fell against her forehead framed the disappointed look in this girl’s brown eyes. The long, wide sleeves of a short-skirted, blue and silver dress covered most of her arms, which stayed folded against her chest. Clunky, heeled boots tapped the floor impatiently as well. The girl standing before Sayuri didn’t wait much longer before speaking again. She wasn’t happy to have her complaint met by complete silence if her tired sigh gave anything away.

“... What’s your name, anyway?”

“... Um…?”

The blue-haired girl clicked her tongue. “Eh? Oh come on, you can answer _that_ , right…?” Before Sayuri _did_ have a chance to answer, the girl unfolded her arms and placed a finger up in the air, as if to hold a thought.

“... Or, wait… did… how much did you forget, too…?”

Guess this girl _was_ in the same situation if her comment implied what Sayuri thought it did.

“... I… forgot some things, but… I-I do know my name… I’m Akiyama Sayuri,” the short-haired girl greeted. “... You?”

“... Miyoshi Hotaru.”

**Enter: MIYOSHI HOTARU**

“It’s good to meet you, Akiyama-san… I guess,” she replied curtly.

‘ _Y-you guess…?_ ’

Sayuri gave a tense smile at that, the corner of her mouth twitching uncomfortably. But this girl—Hotaru, she said—didn’t seem to notice… or maybe didn’t really care. The deadpan expression stayed on her face.

“... Ah, but… y-you said something about… forgetting things ‘too’? Does that mean you…?” Sayuri trailed off uncertainly, opening the door fully now. Hotaru had remained silent for a few beats, before speaking.

“... Yeah,” she replied with a sigh. “... The last thing I remember is going to a school, and suddenly… I woke up in a room here. I’ve been going door to door for a while, but nobody else seems to be here… or if anyone aside from you and I are here, they aren’t answering or aren’t in their rooms… guess I should be thankful you answered the door when you did. I almost gave up.”

Through the explanation, something at the beginning caught Sayuri’s attention. “... School? That’s the last thing you remember...”

“.. Hope’s Peak Academy. Why?” the blue-haired girl asked with a raise of her brow. A second later, it furrowed down, as if coming to an assumption. “... What do _you_ remember, then?”

“Walking up to Hope’s Peak, and then… suddenly I’m waking up in the bed in here,” the shorter girl confirmed. Though the situation remained confusing, at least it felt less… random. Though perhaps that scared Sayuri more…

Hotaru seemed to be thinking along the same line, for the girl clearly grimaced after a look of realization dawned on her. “... That’s… well…”

“... Creepy?” Sayuri offered.

But Hotaru merely shook her head, as if refusing to answer. “... Come one. Let’s look around. It can’t be just us here in that case, right…? …. No. I doubt it’s only two people. There’s plenty of rooms here, after all…”

‘ _Unless whoever put us here is looking for more people to add as we go along…_ ’

The worrisome thought crossed Sayuri’s mind, and she shook her head to rid it. Now was not the time to assume, she’d just confuse herself even more…

“... How many rooms are there?”

“Including yours and mine…,” the brown-eyed girl paused to count the doors, “... sixteen.”

“Sixteen, huh… so… there may be that many people here…”

“... _Maybe_ is the key word there, I think...,” Hotaru replied. “... We should try to see, then.”

Sayuri tilted her head. “We…?”

“Tch. We can go separately if you want, to cover more ground… but I’m not going to be the only one trying to find answers. Don’t be an idiot, okay? I won’t pick up your slack.”

“A-ah… y-yes, Miyoshi-san…,” she sighed in reply, the strained smile back on her face at that.

“Whatever… let’s go.”

* * *

 

Sayuri knocked on the door timidly, her knuckles barely making contact with the smooth wooden surface. After deciding to finish up the search of anyone else still in their rooms, Hotaru had tasked Sayuri with the door neighboring her own. While the blue-haired girl went off to a remaining room across the hall, Sayuri was left to anxiously await if someone would emerge from the room next to hers.

…

She knocked again, a little louder.

…

Once more. Her knuckles remained ghosting against the surface of the door.

...

Sayuri slowly lowered her hand. There… was probably no one in this room, after all. “M-Miyoshi-san? I think this room is—,”

The reserve course student could only let out a yelp of surprise when the door was thrown open, a glowering young man on the other side.

“What part of ‘it’s unlocked’ are you too deaf to hear?” he snapped, prompting Sayuri to wince. “I-I… I didn’t hear it, though…?”

“ _Clearly,_ ” was the male’s only response. With tousled brown hair and thin, orange eyes, the tanned boy barely looked older than Sayuri was… despite that fact that he practically towered over her at a startling height. His broad build didn’t help her feel less intimidated, either. Despite the appearance that he had just gotten out of bed, he was dressed fully in a long, teal overcoat, buttoned up and fastened completely. Even the black slacks he wore were pristine in condition, white loafers, and fingerless gloves on his form as well...

“... Calm down, would you?” Hotaru’s voice came from behind Sayuri. It seemed the noise from a new person had led her over from her own search. “I didn’t hear you either… don’t blame her.”

“... Not a sound, eh?” the brown-haired male asked, clicking his tongue distastefully. “... Tch… these rooms soundproof or something?”

“... T-They… might be…,” Sayuri stammered uncertainly. Orange eyes locked back on her, the expression this time holding less venom, yet still stern. “Oi. Stand up straight and talk louder. No one’s going to take you seriously if you’re cowering like that, got it?”

“Y-Yes, sir…”

He simply shook his head in exasperation at Sayuri’s reply. “Not ‘sir’. You’re making me sound like an old man…Mitsuya Ryuu. That’s my name.”

**Enter: MITSUYA RYUU**

“You two are…?”

“Akiyama Sayuri… and this is Miyoshi-san,” the shorter girl introduced, gesturing to Hotaru with her ending words. The other female simply raised a hand in a half-tried wave. “... Miyoshi Hotaru. Nice to meet you, Mitsuya-kun…”

“Likewise,” Ryuu said simply. He brushed a hand through his hair to try and smooth it out, revealing the shaved sides of his head with this action. “... So… any idea why we’re here, ladies?”

“... You were set to attend Hope’s Peak Academy too, correct?”

The brown-haired boy gave a small look of surprise at Hotaru’s inquiry. “... Yeah. Super High School Level Archer… you?” he replied a moment later.

“... Seamstress,” was Hotaru’s answer, before turning expectantly to Sayuri. The girl simply looked to her feet, almost embarrassed.

“... I… don’t have a title or talent? I… well, I was accepted to the Reserve Course…,” Sayuri explained dejectedly.

When she glanced back up, Sayuri noticed Ryuu clicking his tongue, a thoughtful look on his face. “... You mean that side course people pay to get into?”

“... Y-yeah…,” she laughed uncomfortably. “That’s… that’s the one.”

“Eh. Hope’s Peak is Hope’s Peak, I guess…,” Hotaru replied with a shrug, her comment then followed up by something from Ryuu. “Either way,” the boy began, “the three of us are all students from the school in some way, eh?”

… Well, that got brushed off quicker than she expected. Not that she minded, really…

“It seems so, yeah...,” Sayuri confirmed. “... And… you remember walking up to the school, but nothing else, right?”

“Pretty much,” Ryuu replied with a displeased expression. “Geez… now I’m even more confused than when I thought it was just me… what’s up with abducting Hope’s Peak Academy students, then?”

“... Who knows…,” Hotaru grumbled. “... Either way… we should all try and see if anyone else is here… I’ve struck out with most of the rooms… but maybe there’s something out past the hall.” The girl gestured with her left hand out to the other end of the hallway, where it seemed to branch off into two different directions. Both Sayuri and Ryuu had glanced down the hall and seemed to think it over.

In the end, Ryuu beat the girl to the punch of replying with a click of his tongue. “You mean you haven’t checked for like, I don’t know, a damn exit yet?”

“... I… hadn’t really gotten that far…,” Hotaru confessed with a huff, crossing her arms and puffing out her cheeks. “Besides… if anyone else was here, I had wanted to rally them up, first…”

“Yeah, sure, whatever you say, Miyoshi…,” the male quipped, retreating back into his room, yet leaving the door opened.

“M-Mitsuya-kun…?” Sayuri inquired from the other side of the doorway. She heard the boy grunt in annoyance, murmuring a few swears before reappearing and finally leaving his room. A classic, rather elegant-looking longbow was now slung over his shoulder, with an empty quiver on his back. It was surely too convenient to be given in this situation, so Sayuri assumed Ryuu had brought this with him… he was an archer, he said, after all. But still, why did Ryuu get his weapon, yet Sayuri’s bag was missing...? It was only carrying books and a...

Oh wait, that reminded her.

“Ah… I assume neither of you have your phones, right?”

Ryuu merely shook his head, while Hotaru made the effort of a vocal answer. “No… that was taken. Most of the things I started the day with were gone, mind my sewing kit…”

“O-oh… I see…,” the green-eyed girl sighed, though she didn’t really expect any other answer. “... Just wondering. Mine was gone when I woke up, too… but I just thought...”

The sound of a door shutting not-so-gently filled the hallway once Sayuri trailed off in silence. “The answer should have been obvious then, if yours was gone. Stop for a minute to think before you speak, then. You’ll look less clueless that way.”

Sayuri made a note to remember that Ryuu didn’t seem like the most sympathetic individual. With that, Sayuri bit her lip and turned on her heel. “... We should get going… right?”

“Yeah.”

* * *

 

They shouldn’t have expected anything else.

After wandering down the hallway in silence, the trio made a left at end of the hallway with the bedrooms. They seemed to be met by a rather spacious room, with a fancy desk in the corner and a few couches positioned comfortably around a fireplace. Upon closer inspection, the fireplace was simply filled with fake plastic logs and some warm-colored lights in front of a heater, most likely. Despite the faux setup, it certainly gave a feeling of comfort. The marble floors were shiny and polished as if the upkeep of this place was a priority. The more Sayuri thought of it, the more it reminded her of a hotel…

But there were more pressing matters at hand than what this place could be compared to. Namely, more cameras following their movements, and the steel plates bolted over the windows, much like in the bedrooms. There must have been at least two windows in this room, for both steel plates were on either side of a large, yet heavily locked and secured metal door.

Judging by the runway carpet from the front desk to this door… that was probably that front entrance. Their exit.

Guarded and blocked off.

Sayuri wasn’t sure why she had been hoping for anything else.

“Eh? Are you kidding me?” Ryuu snarled, tapping the door with the toe of his shoe. His lips curled into a scowl, groaning in annoyance. “Great. Just great…”

“... So whoever wanted us here wanted us to stay here…,” Hotaru mused with a disdainful frown. Sayuri, on the other hand, let out a small whine walking up to the door and turning to turn one of the bolts locking it in place.

“I wouldn’t do that, y’know.”

Well, that voice was new. The three students turned around to face the newcomer, Sayuri taking her hands off of the parts of the door as she did.

Sayuri’s eyes were met with the sight of a tall, rather well-endowed girl. She had slick black hair that framed her face with straight-cut bangs and draped down her right shoulder in a long braid. Her eyes were brown and rather thin in shape, making it hard to tell if her expression was neutral or a glare. Dressed simply a red tank-top, and a black bomber jacket around her waist, it left the muscle of her arms on decent display, aside from the white bandages that wrapped around them. With a white skirt over grey leggings, white knee-socks, and… wait, roller blades? This girl surely stuck out…

“Didn’cha notice?” this new girl asked, gesturing a hand to something in the corner. “You’re making a dumbass choice. Unless being pumped full of bullets sounds good to you, I guess…”

Sayuri had to shamefully admit to herself that she didn’t notice yet the large Gatling guns hanging from the corners of the room, pointing directly towards the spot where one would stand to open the door. She winced. “O-oh… I-I… didn’t notice.”

“Obviously you didn’t,” this girl spat, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms. With a kick of her leg, she rolled her way towards the trio. “So, who’re you assholes anyway? Must be more captives, ‘cause I’m sure the fuckheads who did this wouldn’t try to get themselves killed that easily…”

“Well, that’s… harsh,” Hotaru muttered from Sayuri’s right, before speaking up louder. “... Miyoshi Hotaru, Mitsuya Ryuu-kun, and Akiyama Sayuri-san.” She recited off the introductions, gesturing to the other two with her as she got to their respective names. “We’re… from the upcoming classes at Hope’s Peak Academy. I assume you’re the same?”

“... Super High School Level Roller Derby Star, Adachi Akemi.”

**Enter: ADACHI AKEMI**

Sayuri wanted to comment that she could have guessed the talent by the girl’s use of roller skates, but figured Akemi might not appreciate it… this girl didn’t seem like a tame type, after all.

“Nice to meet you, Adachi-san…,” Sayuri greeted with a small bow. Upon rising, she heard a snort from Akemi. “Yeah, yeah, sure it is. If we weren’t fuckin’ _here_ , I’d say the same…”

The reserve course girl grimaced. “Um… r-right…”

“Either way… Adachi, have you met anyone else here so far?” Ryuu inquired, raising a brow at the vulgar-mouthed girl. Akemi gave a ‘ _tsk’_ sound, almost displeased by the question. “The conference hall had some idiots. Got a headache from ‘em and bailed, though. So I’m not sure if they’re still there.”

“Conference hall…?” Sayuri mused.

Akemi replied curtly, jabbing her thumb over her shoulder. “Past the hallway with the bedrooms, keep going down and you’ll find an open area with like… five different doors? The one on the far wall is a conference hall, according to the nameplate… but it seems more like a fuckin’ theater. Huge space, and even has a stage and everything.”

“That many rooms, huh…,” the blue-haired female of the group mused curiously, placing a finger to her chin in distant thought. After a moment, she lowered her hand and began walking in the direction Akemi gestured to.

“... Um… M-Miyoshi-san?”

“... That makes seven of us so far, no? There’s still nine missing if there really is a person for every bedroom here. I want to talk with them, see if these supposed three know anything else…”

“Be careful then, missy,” Akemi warned coolly. “Those three are…. Eck.”

“... Noted.”

With that acknowledgments, Hotaru kept walking. Sayuri debated following, but before the seamstress disappeared completely from her sight, she found herself walking after her. Regardless, she wanted to meet these people as well… and judging by the footsteps resounding from behind Sayuri, as well as the sound of wheels against tiles, the other two were right behind them.

It didn’t take long to catch up to Hotaru, nor did it take them much longer to arrive at the area Akemi mentioned after that. A quick look around was rewarded with sights of sofas against the wall and, and a stairwell that seemed to be going upwards. And though Sayuri wanted to explore those higher rooms…

“Hey. What’s with the stairs being blocked off…?”

The green-eyed girl’s inquiry was replied to by an assumption from Ryuu. “Probably for the same reason as the front door… to keep us in a specific location. There must be more on the upper floors that out captors don’t want us seeing…”

“Probably,” Akemi agreed. “I tried moving the gate, but it wouldn’t budge. Not to mention there’s a Gatling gun guarding this place, too… it would’ve been a dumbass move to have tried further.”

Upon hearing of the weapon, Sayuri glanced up to the corner by the gate. Sure enough, the aforementioned gun was poised, ready to take fire.

“... That sucks...,” Hotaru muttered, before dragging a finger along the nameplate of the door before her, Sayuri approached to take a peek. ‘ _So this is the conference hall…’_

Sayuri noticed Hotaru stalling in front of the doors, an uncomfortable expression on her face.

“Miyoshi-san…?”

The green-eyed girl was met with no verbal answer, but Hotaru at least seemed to refocus long enough to open the doors and walk inside. Sayuri followed close on her heels. The remaining two weren’t far behind.

“... Ah, Adachi-chan, yer back? Good t’ see ya’ don’t hate us completely,” the voice came from the suntanned girl kicking back on one of the chairs.

The next voice came from a rather attractive blonde male, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his leather jacket, with a gentle grin on his features. “Hmhm… couldn’t stay away, could you…?

“Fuck off, Mizushima. I told you I’m not gonna pull my punches if you piss me off…”

This Mizushima boy seemed to let out a light laugh, one that caught Sayuri’s attention. “Understandable. My apologies. I wouldn’t want to make you feel you had to resort to violence, that kind of discomfort is unbecoming…”

The girl in the chair, who as well had blonde hair, sans a few pink highlights, sniggered. “How ‘bout ya’ say that t’ her face, not ‘er rack…”

The accused boy’s face morphed to one of embarrassment at the notion. “S-Shio-sama, I wasn’t…!”

“I can see why you were getting a headache, Adachi…,” Ryuu snarled from the back of the crowd. The roller skater girl simply crossed her arms with a huff.

“Alright. I’m only back because these punks were dumb enough to want to meet you lot. But if you three piss me off again, don’t think I won’t beat the bloody hell out of you just because we have witnesses…”

… Oh yeah. Sayuri recalled there were said to be three, yet she only saw…

“A-Adachi-san! Seriously, w-why are you so friggin’ violent? I-I’m pretty sure that’s not a healthy lifestyle…!”

That voice belonged to the final member of the supposed trio in the conference hall. When Sayuri looked over to the corner, she spotted a boy in a pale grey-colored polo overtop a white hoodie. His skin was pasty and gently freckled, yet the light hues were contrasted by the deep, cobalt blue of eyes and hair. Or… eye, as far as Sayuri could see. Because the other eye was covered by the icepack the navy-haired boy was holding to his skin.

… Oh boy.

“Maybe if you weren’t such a little bitch who got in the way of the other guy, you wouldn’t have taken the punch,” Akemi retorted. Sayuri stole a glance to her, shifting away uncomfortably. What a loose cannon this girl seemed to be...

“Okay, can everyone just shut up for a minute?” Hotaru snapped after a moment, pressing her fingers to her temples with a scowl. The blue-haired boy in the corner yelped, then pressed his lips together tightly. The others fell silent as well.

“... Um, okay, so… first thing’s first. Names,” the seamstress demanded, before adding as an afterthought. “And talents. I’m pretty sure at this point we all attend Hope’s Peak, no?”

“Guess we do,” the blonde girl replied coolly, rocking on the back legs of her chair. “I’ll start. Shiomiya Mariko, Super High School Level Surfer.”

**Enter: SHIOMIYA MARIKO**

As Sayuri looked at the girl, she supposed she could see that. After all, Mariko’s white top was mostly unzipped, enough to reveal a black bathing suit top… regardless of how risqué that outfit choice seemed, though.

After a pause to make sure there were no other comments, the boy dubbed Mizushima spoke next. “My name’s Mizushima, as you know. Mizushima Taro.”

**Enter: MIZUSHIMA TARO**

“It’s a pleasure to meet the three of you,” the blonde boy said charmingly, extending his hand for a handshake to the blue-haired female. Hotaru stared at his hand, yet made no effort to return the gesture. In fact, she simply shook her head at him with a scowl. The boy chuckled softly at this, giving a small nod of understanding in return.

“... And your talent?”

Now his laugh took an edge of unease. “... Casanova.”

“... You’re kidding.”

Ryuu’s comment cut through the brief moment of silence that the room as left in. “You got in for _that_?”

“Well, when you charm the daughter of a scout, it makes sense she’d want her dad to give you special treatment so she can get on your good side and keep pursuing you…,” Taro explained.

“... You sound like scum,” Hotaru stated bluntly. But Taro simply laughed it off lightly. “I suppose I am. But enough about me. How about some of you?”

The boy in the corner gawked indignantly. “H-Hey! You completely skipped me…!”

“Ah, sorry, sorry, Shizu-kun…”

“... Shizu?” Sayuri began, turning to the injured boy in the corner.

“Ugh… n-no… not, not really? Shizuka Yoshiro… Super High School Level Jeweler,” he introduced in a grumble.

**Enter: SHIZUKA YOSHIRO**

Only now did Sayuri actually think to notice the silver rings on Yoshiro’s hand, at least the one that was holding up the icepack. Though they barely peeked out from under the long sleeves of his hoodie, they were simple in shape, really just wide bands on his index and middle fingers. Yet, Sayuri could see a few details almost etched in them from the distance she stood at. They looked pretty nice.

“It’s wonderful to meet you, Shizuka-kun,” she greeted with a soft smile, but the flighty boy just looked to the ground.

“W-whatever…”

“... Anyway,” Ryuu cut in. “I guess it’s our turn, eh?”

Mariko put a finger to her chin in thought. “Guess so.”

After the three remaining students introduced themselves, Taro cracked his neck and spoke. “Alright, but… down to business… does anyone have any clue what’s going on?”

“What kind of dumb question is that?” Akemi barked. “Of course we don’t know.”

Taro shook his head with a grin. “I mean, I already talked to you. We know you don’t know, I was asking them.” But to that, Sayuri merely shook her head. Taro’s expression deflated, almost as if he had been hoping they would know something.

“Sadly, we don’t… we were hoping to just find some more people here… Miyoshi-san counted sixteen bedrooms, so we think there may be that many people here…”

“Sixteen, eh?” Mariko mused from her seat, before letting the chair fall back on all legs with a loud sound echoing. Ignoring the unmanly shriek that escaped Yoshiro’s mouth at the sudden noise, the surfer grinned. “That’s a lot, huh? Should we all start a search party, then?”

“Ugh, no thanks,” Akemi snapped. “I’d rather not have to deal with more of this freakshow… I’ll be back in my room if anyone needs me.”

“No.”

The forceful tone from Ryuu came as a slight shock. “Let’s have someone search, and the rest of us stay here… if they find anyone, send them our way. At least then, we can all meet up and see what we know.”

“I mean, that sounds like a solid plan,” Taro agreed casually. “Like a group meeting, huh?”

“Precisely.”

“... I can back that… I think,” Hotaru said with a nod, rubbing her arm uneasily. While Akemi gave a reluctant grumble, she at least plopped herself down in a chair to wait. Mariko went back to leaning in her chair, clearly having no intention of moving or doing anything anytime soon. And Yoshiro… well… the boy merely curled in on himself almost pathetically, eyeing Akemi anxiously from across the room.

“.. I, um… I think I’ll go search,” Sayuri decided. “Does anybody want to go with me…?”

She was merely met with silence.

“... O-okay… I’ll see you guys soon, then.”

Sayuri made her way for the exit, closing the door softly and letting out a tired groan. This already less-than-ideal situation didn’t seem helped by the oh-so-colorful personalities… this bunch could be hard to handle. But still, she could do it…

That said… where would the next room be...

Sayuri made a beeline for the closest door to the left—a first aid station, she would note according to the nameplate—and entered on her lonesome.

* * *

 

Well, good to know if anyone got hurt, this place was fully stocked…

The moment she passed through the door, she took note of the surroundings. Five beds placed evenly apart in the center of the room, able to be separated off by curtains in between each bed. Blood bags in a refrigerated centrifuge were off in the back corner, alongside IV drips. Shelves of individually wrapped bandage rolls, band-aids and materials to prepare splints or slings was pushed alongside the rightmost wall. And above the sink to the left of the door were cabinets of medicines, ranging from those to help headaches and stomach aches, to ones that would be added to IVs for more severe injuries.

Though… if this was a hotel, why did it remind her more of a hospital in here? How strange…

…

Wait, was that—

Before she could fully turn to look at the other occupant in the room, they spoke.

“Hiya there, nee-san!” a childish voice chimed in. Sayuri looked over from the medicine cabinet towards the voice, scolding herself for not seeing them sooner. It seemed to be a short boy, barely taller than Sayuri herself, sitting on a chair towards the vitals machines, with his legs swinging idly, since they barely grazed the floor. With wide, icy-blue eyes and messy black hair, he gave off a certain young appearance coupled with the height. A long-sleeved, white shirt was worn by this boy, but seemed to be stained by paint in every color Sayuri could list off the top of her head. Perhaps this boy was an artist…? Yet despite the messy shirt, over his shoulders was a clean, faux-fur lined poncho in a deep blue color, with careful white embroidery along the edges.

_‘Nee-san…? Just how old is he…? Did… they really take a child here?’_

“Errm, hello there,” Sayuri waves to the small boy, a light smile on her face. The kid seemed to jump off the chair, approaching the black-haired girl with a bright grin. “I was wondering if there were others here…! Nice to meet you!”

“Ah, you too…”

Standing face-to-face now, Sayuri extended a hand to him. The boy eagerly shook it, closing his eyes and tilting his head from side to side. “My name’s Hitomi. Hitomi Daiki. What about you, nee-san?”

**Enter: HITOMI DAIKI**

“Akiyama Sayuri… a pleasure, Hitomi-kun.”

“Yup, yup, you too, Sacchan!”

_‘A-another nickname?’_

Shaking her head to dismiss the thought, she decided to get down to business. “So, Hitomi-kun…,” Sayuri began, “I assume you’re a Hope’s Peak Student as well…?”

“Ah! How did Sacchan know..!?”

Oh geez, he had the excitement of a kid in a candy store, even in this situation...

“Um… well, you see, there’s a bunch of others here with us… six others, aside from us two. We’re all from Hope’s Peak Academy… in… one way or another, that is.”

Daiki nodded firmly at this explanation, humming in thought for just a moment. “Well, yeah… I’m the Super High School Level Sculptor. You?”

‘ _Super High School… s-so he isn’t a kid!?’_

Sayuri gawked, but shook her head quickly to forget the internal commentary. “Right, I’m just… a Reserve Course student… so I’m not sure why I’m here with the other talents, but…”

“I meeeean, a student’s a student, right?” Daiki put a finger to his cheek, staring at the ceiling in thought. “I guess it counts… but… still a shame you’re stuck here, Sacchan.”

Sayuri smiled sadly, at least appreciating the sentiment from the stranger. “Ah, the same could be said for everyone, Hitomi-kun.”

“True, true!” he chirped in reply.

Sighing tiredly—really, how could someone be so chipper in this situation?—Sayuri proceeds with her task. “Anyway… I’m being sent around to gather up anyone we can find. We’re going to all meet in the conference hall. Would you mind heading there for me?”

He blinked, the nodded “Wiiiill do, Sacchan! Conference hall iiiiis….?”

“The door to the right after you exit,” Sayuri clarified. Daiki smiled, saluting to her with a cheerful ‘thanks’ before he bolted out of the room, poncho fluttering behind him.

Sayuri was left staring as the door slowly closed…

… just what the hell was going on?

**Author's Note:**

> So as part one of the prologue draws to a close, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to read the first installment of this story! The second part will be soon, so I hope you stick around to meet the rest of the cast. 
> 
> After the prologue as a whole is complete, I'll be opening a poll for who should get the slots of the 4-5 the first chapter's Free Time Events, based on popular vote. So keep an eye out for any characters that may pique your interest!
> 
> Again, thank you for reading, I hope to satisfy! Any feedback is welcome, so please don't be afraid to drop a comment. Have a great day!


End file.
